Given that it feels like it’s being promoted everywhere, you’d think lemon water has a great publicist. Somehow the idea of drinking a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon in it first thing in the morning (or any time of day) became a cure-all. If you believe everything you read on social media, it will help with digestion, weight loss, detoxing your body and even giving you clearer skin. That sure is a lot to ask from a little bit of watered down lemon juice.
We’re not sure where this came from, but we’re going to tell you the truth about lemon water. In short, there are some reasons to drink it every morning, and a couple that you should be aware of that may make you reconsider it. But we do want to temper your expectations for what it can do for you. And spoiler alert, a lot of the claims may not live up to social media’s huge proclamations. But is that really any surprise?
We break down the truth behind the nine biggest claims about lemon water.
1. You May Find It Easier to Drink Enough Water
The benefit of lemon water is its flavor. That makes you want to drink more fluids, which can be a struggle for some. Instead of your glass of water going untouched on your desk all day, adding a splash of something you enjoy could make drinking fluids a regular occurrence.
Drinking plenty of fluids helps maintain a healthy body temperature, lubricates joints, and prevents problems like constipation, and even poor mental functioning. The CDC’s guide to water and health covers these benefits and many more.
The lemon makes the habit more appealing; the water handles most of the work.
That also means your results depend on where you’re starting. Someone who routinely forgets to drink may notice more of a difference than someone who already gets enough fluid. Adding lemon to an otherwise well-hydrated day doesn’t guarantee another level of health.
2. You’ll Get Some Vitamin C, but the Amount Matters
Lemons contain vitamin C. How much ends up in your glass depends on how much juice you squeeze into it.
A tablespoon of lemon juice supplies about 6 milligrams of vitamin C, according to Cleveland Clinic’s nutrition breakdown. Two tablespoons would provide roughly 12 milligrams.
For context, the recommended daily intake for most adult women is 75 milligrams; for adult men, it’s 90 milligrams. Vitamin C supports normal immune function, helps your body make collagen and improves absorption of iron from plant foods. The National Institutes of Health explains its roles and recommended amounts.
So a generous squeeze makes a modest contribution. A thin slice floating in a pitcher shouldn’t be counted as the equivalent.
Enjoy the lemon water, and keep eating your fruits and vegetables. The glass can contribute to your day without carrying the whole assignment.
3. You Could Cut Back on Added Sugar
Lemon water becomes particularly useful when it takes the place of something sweet.
Swapping your usual soda or sweetened tea for water with lemon can lower your added sugar and calorie intake. The CDC specifically suggests adding lemon, lime or cucumber to water when you want more flavor. Its guide to rethinking your drink focuses on these manageable substitutions.
That’s the most sensible connection between lemon water and weight management. What you replace matters.
There’s no evidence to suggest that lemons are some sort of active fat-burner, so while adding a glass of lemon water to your routine doesn’t necessarily prove fat-loss, it’s a viable and realistic change you can make if it serves to replace a sugary drink you enjoy.
Just be careful not to negate your hard-working lemon water with hidden spoonfuls of honey and sugar. Remember though, honey counts. And so does any other sugar you choose to add.
4. Your Bathroom Routine Might Improve if You Were Short on Fluids
Some people are enthusiastic about a morning lemon water ritual to get bowels moving. It’s possible this is simply a result of the benefits of drinking water, particularly for people who aren’t getting in enough fluids otherwise.
Drinking extra liquids may help fiber work better and may help stool pass more easily. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases does list liquids as one way to deal with constipation.
There isn’t evidence that lemon juice has reliable laxative powers.
If you’re looking for more regularity in your bowel movements, you need to improve your entire routine. That includes drinking enough fluids, consuming fiber-rich foods and exercising. Drinking a glass of lemon water each day may be a part of your healthy lifestyle, but it’s not going to overcome a diet that’s lacking in fiber.
If you’re dealing with recurring bouts of constipation, drinking more lemon water is unlikely to help.
5. The Kidney Stone Claim Has Some Science Behind It — With Limits
To determine if drinking lemon juice lowers your risk of recurring calcium oxalate stones, researchers conducted a randomized trial on 203 people. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 60 milliliters of fresh lemon juice, twice a day in addition to following the prescribed diet (experimental group) or to follow the prescribed diet alone (control group).
After two years, stones returned in 21 of the 100 people consuming lemon juice. In the control group, 32 of 103 had recurrent stones during the same two-year span.
Although these results seem to indicate that lemon juice consumption can reduce the risk of recurrent calcium oxalate stones, the difference was not statistically significant.
The problem with this trial is that people kept quitting. After two years only about half of them were drinking lemon juice every day. Which made it hard for them to see if lemon juice vs no lemon juice held any benefits. So they looked at the first year only, when most of them were sticking with it. And they found that of the lemon juice drinkers, 10 of them had another stone. While 22 of the non-lemon juice drinkers had another stone. It’s a study that ran into a few issues with adherence, but could be promising.
Remember, in the study, people were getting around four tablespoons of lemon juice twice a day. So, an occasional glass of lemon water is nice but doesn’t really count as prevention and shouldn’t be a substitute for any prescribed treatment.
If you’ve had kidney stones and want to know if adding lemon juice to your stone prevention plan makes sense, talk with your clinician about whether and how much is right for you.
6. Your Teeth May Get More Acid Exposure
But what these chirpy wellness vids fail to mention is that lemon juice is acidic and can damage your tooth enamel. The more frequently enamel is exposed to acid, the more irreversible damage there will be. So, if you’re sipping lemon water all afternoon, you’re exposing your teeth to acid on a frequent basis.
Fortunately, it’s easy to take a few precautions to limit your teeth’s acid exposure. Learn more about acids and enamel at the American Dental Association.
- If you’re going to drink lemon water, do it during meals instead of sipping all day.
- It’s best to use a straw, ideally behind your front teeth.
- Avoid swishing.
- Rinse your mouth out with regular water when you’re done. These steps reduce contact with your teeth.
Adding water to your juice may take the edge off, but that doesn’t necessarily make it safe for your enamel.
If your teeth are sensitive or your enamel is eroding, talk to your dentist about your beverage choices.
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7. You May Notice More Heartburn
Lemon water can feel refreshing to some but burning to others, so keep track of your own symptoms. Citrus can trigger or worsen reflux symptoms in some people, but triggers vary from person to person, so lemon isn’t necessarily off-limits for everyone with reflux.
NIDDK’s dietary tips suggest keeping track of any foods that seem to make your reflux worse.
If you get heartburn or notice an acidic taste in your throat when you have lemon water regularly, you may want to drink regular water instead.
You don’t have to force yourself through anything if you don’t enjoy it because there’s always an alternative. Need to increase your water or vitamin C intake? There are lots of different ways of doing it.
What About Detoxing and Better Skin?
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that there’s no convincing research to show that detox diets help your body eliminate toxins or help with weight loss. So, that means that your daily glass of lemon water isn’t acting as a cleansing therapy.
Lemon’s vitamin C can help your body produce collagen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that lemon water will erase your acne and smooth away your wrinkles.
It’s still okay to enjoy your glass of lemon water each morning. Just keep in mind that liking something doesn’t mean there needs to be pseudoscience behind it.
How to Make Lemon Water a Habit You Actually Enjoy
Start with a glass of water and a small squeeze of lemon. Taste, then add more to suit your taste. One tablespoon of lemon to a 12 ounce glass of water is a good starting point, although this is in no way a proven daily lemon juice serving, just a suggestion for flavoring your water.
It doesn’t really matter if you drink it first thing in the morning, on an empty or full stomach. It also doesn’t matter if you drink it cold or warm or even a little hot. Drink it however you want. The one thing we would caution is to not make every glass of water lemon water. Make sure the majority of your water intake is just plain old regular water. If you already like plain water, don’t make it harder by thinking you have to squeeze a lemon.
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Kaelyn Johnson is a Registered Dietitian from Southern California who has worked as a clinical dietitian and is now a freelance writer. She has written for WebMD, produced an e-book, and written case studies for healthcare practitioners.
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